The Dallas Museum of Art  is planning a major expansion that will add flexible gallery spaces, reorganized entrances and circulation, and a reapportioned interior. But first all that needs to be designed. So the DMA has launched a “Reimagining the Dallas Museum of Art International Design Competition.”

The museum’s current building, a limestone-clad Modernist structure designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, opened in 1984. But the DMA has long outgrown it, with thousands of works unable to be seen because there’s not enough gallery space to mount them.

‘A pivotal moment’

Dr. Agustín Arteaga, Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art [Photo: DMA]

“This is a pivotal moment for the DMA. With our global collection of more than 26,000 artworks from all cultures and time periods, we are one of the most iconic cultural bodies in the city of Dallas,” Dr. Agustín Arteaga, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director, said in a statement. “The campus was thoughtfully designed for the time with many good qualities but also presents challenges.”

“Today we’re no longer able to accommodate the exponential growth of our collections and are forced to keep masterworks hidden from the public due to limitations on space,” Arteaga added. “It’s time for our building to evolve to meet the current and future needs of our diverse and expansive collections and communities.”

The design competition has a deadline for entry of March 15. 

Expansion budget of $150 to $175 million

According to the DMA, the expansion’s estimated budget will range from $150 to $175 million. 

The international competition for its design will have two stages. The first stage is seeking architect-led multi-disciplinary teams with an open call for submissions. No design is required at the first stage. Teams will be asked to study the Search Statement, then submit their approach to the project, team composition, and relevant experience, as well as company details.

In the second stage, up to five teams will be selected to engage with the DMA and prepare concept designs. An exhibition of the finalist concept designs will be held at the museum and posted for public viewing online, creating an opportunity for community feedback.

Each finalist team will receive an honorarium of $50,000 plus $10,000 toward expenses at the conclusion of the process, the DMA says.

Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.

Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.